France quarantine: will holiday villa give refund?

[TheNewLook]

IF France is added to the quarantine list this week - seems likely - what are my chances of a refund from the holiday villa we have booked? We just cannot go if we’d have to quarantine for two weeks afterwards. Firstly because of DH’s job (medical, cannot be done from home!) and secondly the children’s return to school.

I’ve got £2000 tied up in this holiday property. I fully appreciate it is not the fault of the owners and that this is their business. We do not have insurance that would cover this sort of cancellation reason. I don’t want to contact them until we know for sure what’s happening. I doubt the extra few days notice would help them much anyway.

What do you think? Are they likely to give me back my money? 😢

they could have rented to someone who was ok to quarantine

Yes, that’s a fair point.

Anyway, I have emailed. Fingers crossed there is some goodwill!

No harm asking. It’d be nice if the owner was willing to split the loss with you.

I’d be gutted too, but I’m afraid I agree with other posters that this was always a bit dicey (I don’t agree with your confidence last month that ‘it looked like everything would be fine’). I think your issue is partly to do with you not being able to quarantine when many other households would be - and I get that this must be a kick in the teeth especially if your partner’s medical work has been part of the covid response, but it is what it is.

Fingers crossed for you anyway.

There doesn’t appear to be any legal basis for a refund. Usually your best shot here would be your travel insurance, but it’s not clear if you have any or if they’ve already declined?

Your best bet will be to agree to move it to next year, but then I’d expect the villa company to limit the available weeks or charge the difference in price if you’ve got this “cheap”.

A credit card chargeback or S75 won’t work here as they haven’t breached the contract and you are still able to go. If France closed its borders, it’d be an option, but that’s unlikely.

Will you travel if it’s not added to the list this week? Or will your partner have to stay at home just incase?

I think your DH if a keyworker doesn't have to quarantine

Eh?! How do you work that out then when OPs husband works in the "medical" field - he should be top of the list to quarantine himself (with zero pay hopefully) rather than risk infecting vulnerable people who haven't had the luxury of a jaunt to France 🤷‍♀️

Could you get tests privately when you get back so you don't have to quarantine. You can get them where I am - I got one when I came back from holidays. I work from home so it doesn't matter to me but it meant people I lived with didn't also have to be careful

@workshy44

Could you get tests privately when you get back so you don't have to quarantine. You can get them where I am - I got one when I came back from holidays. I work from home so it doesn't matter to me but it meant people I lived with didn't also have to be careful

You still have to quarantine - you could be undetectable but go on to get it within the 2 weeks.

Fingers crossed OP. Hopefully they will refund you but unless you have insurance which covers this eventuality then if the owners aren't helpful, you'll have to suck it up.

ivfdreaming he would of course quarantine and take no chances. There’s no need for your tone to be honest. What’s the zero pay dig about? We’re not going. That’s the whole point of my thread. It’s cancelled whether we get our money back or not. We will not take the risk.

@TheNewLook

Those saying I was foolish to book during a pandemic etc Things looked very different when I booked, Europe was opening up for holidays, everyone was booking holidays. In fact, it took us ages to find this one as there was so little availability! There was no suggestion France would suddenly go back on the blacklist.

Well, no, that's not really accurate.

Yes, Europe was opening up again but there was always the possibility of local lockdowns and last minute quarantines or disruptions. All the Foreign Office advice said it was subject to last-minute changes due to the pandemic.

It sucks that you may potentially lose 2k but that was a risk you chose to the when you booked a holiday in the middle of a global pandemic.

@ivfdreaming

I think your DH if a keyworker doesn't have to quarantine

Eh?! How do you work that out then when OPs husband works in the "medical" field - he should be top of the list to quarantine himself (with zero pay hopefully) rather than risk infecting vulnerable people who haven't had the luxury of a jaunt to France 🤷‍♀️

There is a huge list of people exempt!

immigrationbarrister.co.uk/who-is-exempt-from-the-14-day-coronavirus-quarantine-period/

OP honestly I think you can go.

Your DH will be exempt from quarantine have a look at this list:

immigrationbarrister.co.uk/who-is-exempt-from-the-14-day-coronavirus-quarantine-period/

I know people have different approaches to risk and different risk appetites, but come on - there was always going to be the risk of cancellation during a global pandemic. You either mitigate the risk with insurance or accept you may lose the money if you've paid upfront.

I would still go; there are a huge number of jobs exempt from quarantine; others have provided the link.

@namedchange112

I would still go; there are a huge number of jobs exempt from quarantine; others have provided the link.

Yup!! I would still go!

Esp if travelling on eurotunnel even if ferry - stick to your cabin and you'll be fine.

@FinallyRelief

OP honestly I think you can go.

Your DH will be exempt from quarantine have a look at this list:

immigrationbarrister.co.uk/who-is-exempt-from-the-14-day-coronavirus-quarantine-period/

No he isn't. That list is pretty much made up of people who have been out of the country for work and are returning for work OR who are foreign nationals coming in to the country for work related purposes.

It is not for Dr Joe Bloggs to have a jolly with his family and come back to work no quarantine.

My hospital trust has been really clear that we MUST quarantine in line with government guidelines and we will not be paid for this.

Healthcare professionals DO have to isolate. The advice was updated on July 31st.

"Registered health or care professionals.

The exemption from the requirement to self-isolate for registered health or care professionals was removed on Friday 31 July 2020.

If you fall into this group and you arrived in England on or after 31 July you will need to self-isolate if you visited or made a transit stop in a country or territory that is not on the travel corridors list in the 14 days before your arrival."

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules

@FinallyRelief

OP honestly I think you can go.

Your DH will be exempt from quarantine have a look at this list:

immigrationbarrister.co.uk/who-is-exempt-from-the-14-day-coronavirus-quarantine-period/

That's no longer correct.

See the updated government advice here:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules

@TheNewLook

Those saying I was foolish to book during a pandemic etc Things looked very different when I booked, Europe was opening up for holidays, everyone was booking holidays. In fact, it took us ages to find this one as there was so little availability! There was no suggestion France would suddenly go back on the blacklist.

But the Government did advise to holiday in the UK this year (presumably because of this situation arising).

Remember how fast things changed at the start of this year? Unfortunately we can only rely on immediate plans at the moment. If cases are increasing in a country it's best that people do quarantine on return, the last thing the country needs is a load of cases being imported just as schools re-open!

I am sorry you are losing out on your holiday and cash. This year sucks! Maybe try and plan some good things locally so it's not a total washout.

You might be able to find someone in France to take over. I see a lot of people on FB here in France who have been hedging their bets and need to book somewhere fast. Feel free to pm me.

Get in touch with the owners and see if they will reach a compromise, 50% would be fair. My in laws let out their villa in France and have said if the rules change, i.e. quarantine is enforced, they will issue a full refund. They are decent folk though. It all depends who you are dealing with.

Yes, I have emailed them. Am waiting for a response. 🤞🏼

@FinallyRelief

Medical people aren’t exempt unless they are travelling specifically for work.

Would your credit card provider refund you if it happens? I think it is very likely France will be added, unless the government decides not to as they want co-operation over illegal migrants crossing the Channel.

What response did you get?

Well, funny you should ask...we still hadn’t heard anything by this morning so I emailed to check they’d got my first email and could they clarify the position.

A very long email followed, the gist of which is that they don’t do refunds BUT they may have another taker for the property and will update me asap. So that looks hopeful. 🤞🏼